1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a support wing, such as an aircraft wing, having a movable flap hinged thereto whereby the support wing and the flap have at their upper and lower faces a skin of synthetic material which is formed integrally and is then cut at the upper face to allow for relative movement of the flap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,065, issued Jan. 27, 1981 describes a support or carrying wing and flap in which the flap is held in bearings, and the outer skin of synthetic material, is formed at the upper side of the wing so as to be continuous, without a gap, from the carrying surface to the flap. In a transition area between this surface and the flap the outer skin is made as a thin bendable membrane and the bearings are so constituted that the fastening of the membrane to the flap follows at least an approximately spiral path around the part at which the membrane is attached to the carrying surface.
This form of construction has the advantage of a completely unbroken outer skin at the upper side of the support or carrying wing and a correspondingly favourable airflow. Admittedly there is a break or small gap on the lower side between the flap and the support wing, but this has only a very small and negligible influence on the aerodynamic properties of the wing.
With a construction of this kind the bearings of the flap must be very accurately assembled because it is only by this means that the requisite trajectory of the fastening of the membrane to the flap can be implemented. The method of construction is therefore expensive. In the event of damage to the flap or the membrane it is difficult, and always very expensive, to reproduce the original properties.